relationships

The ballerina twirls in the late afternoon light. As if on cue, Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” suite begins to play. I’m lost in the dimly lit ornaments as my mind wanders. I fall into a deep nostalgia. My mind is a montage of Christmases past. My 6-year-old self follows my dad as we…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked psychologist Amy MB Sullivan to answer some of your questions related to implementing integrative medicine in multiple sclerosis care. Sullivan is a board-certified staff clinical health psychologist and the director of behavioral medicine at the Mellen…

As an adult, it hasn’t been easy for me to get into the Christmas spirit. Planning festivities and buying gifts don’t come naturally to me. Perhaps it’s because adult life never ends, whereas as a student, I had holiday breaks that signified the beginning of the season, allowing me to…

You get used to … Hold on there, matey boy. Be honest and write “I.” This column has a reputation for brutal honesty (I’m sure someone has referred to it that way over the past five years), so don’t get all coy now that you’re not the center of medical…

Ten years ago, my husband and I lost our twin girls during my 18th week of pregnancy. In some ways, it feels as though this decade has flown by in the blink of an eye, but in others, it feels as though an eternity has passed. Several years before I…

Neurologists in Colombia agree that sexual dysfunction is burdensome and affects quality of life in major ways for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), but some still don’t ask their patients about it, a survey study reported. Findings also revealed that many neurologists there do not use formal tools…

There’s a poignant scene in “Forrest Gump” in which the title character and his best friend, Jenny, walk up to the shack where she was raised (and was raped and abused by her drunken father). She stares at the place for a moment and then begins hurling things…

My eldest son just started high school, which makes me feel both incredibly old and somewhat proud of myself for surviving this long. People have been telling me the teenage years are the hardest, but I have a leg up since I used to be a high school teacher. The…

It’s in my nature to get a little reflective around significant dates, such as New Year’s and the changing of the seasons. I love that these occasions represent change and starting fresh. So celebrating my seventh wedding anniversary on Aug. 29 has made me rather contemplative, more so than in…

Differences are evident in the perceived frequency of expressions of support needs and disease burden between people with  multiple sclerosis (MS) and their life partners, a Swiss study found. People without MS responded in a survey to feeling their partners’ communication about these issues was more frequent than the…

Now, I know the phrase “I’m going to do my own research” has become a catch-all for conspiracy theorists who are out to prove spurious nonsense, merely by finding even more spurious websites they can whirl down like Alice falling through that there looking glass. Proper research costs serious money…

Last week, we welcomed a wonderful person into our family. My not-so-little brother got married! The wedding was beautiful — so beautiful that I couldn’t let myself feel it all in the moment. Who wants to hear the loud, ugly crier?! (I did my happy crying loudly in the ladies’…

Men with multiple sclerosis (MS) show differences in health-related behaviors based on how much they value certain masculine ideals, according to a new study that suggests possible negative effects of masculinity in terms of seeking medical care. Results from the study — which specifically focused on white males in…

The other night I dreamed I was standing in a military formation when my leg began to twitch with an MS spasm. I couldn’t stay in line. The top sergeant yelled while the other soldiers laughed. Suddenly, the scene shifted to a balance beam, where I desperately tried to…

Greater feelings of social support predicted better sleep quality in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) during the COVID-19 pandemic, a study shows. Specifically, greater help with daily tasks and more leisure activities with others were the types of social support identified, after adjusting for potential influencing factors, as…

Note: This story was updated on July 25, 2022, for the headline to reflect researchers gave this information in a perspective paper, not a study.  Bans on abortion and other reproductive care limitations are likely to have a profound impact on the care of people with multiple sclerosis (MS)…

Rates of sexual and emotional abuse are higher in women with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with women in the general population, according to a new study from Norway. These women are also at more than two times higher risk of being revictimized, which occurs when a person who has…

The risk of erectile dysfunction was about three times greater in men with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with healthy men, according to a recent meta-analysis of published studies. It was identified in nearly half of the 2,760 adult male patients in these studies, highlighting the importance of diagnosing…

It’s a decision most of us with a chronic illness have to make sooner or later: When do we disclose our illness, and to whom, and how do we do it? Thirty-one-year-old Katie Coleman faced that decision not long ago. Coleman has stage 4 kidney cancer, and, in April, she…

There is a more heavyweight subject I could inflict on you lot, but let’s put our feet up this week. Even I can do it with the one leg. My wife, Jane, and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last Friday. You’d have thought we’d have planned a big…

Among people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), those who are married and have more formal education are more likely to take treatments as recommended, according to a new study from Iran. The study, “Effects of Disease-Modifying Treatments discontinuation in patients with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: A 5…

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects all aspects of life, from physical and mental health to relationships, and from work and finances to hobbies and holidays, according to results from an online survey conducted by the U.K.’s MS Trust. Most respondents said they wanted more support to manage their fatigue, improve…

There is an ongoing difference of opinion between my husband and me regarding my general outlook on life. I consider myself to be a realist, whereas he thinks I tend to err on the side of pessimism. I’m an overthinker. I’ve always felt things incredibly intensely. Interestingly, when I read…

Greater engagement in social activities and positive social support were associated with better physical and psychological health among people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in a recent study. These data “suggest that social integration and social support should be a crucial part of MS management,” the researchers wrote, adding that…

In this installment of our “Expert Voices” series, Multiple Sclerosis News Today asked Annie Brewster, MD, to answer some of your questions about navigating difficult patient-provider relationships. Brewster is an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and a practicing internist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is…

While sexual problems are relatively common in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), it can still be difficult to openly discuss their experiences with their doctor. A questionnaire especially tailored for women with MS called the Sexual Dysfunction Management and Expectations Assessment in Multiple sclerosis – Female (SEA-MS-F) may…

The week started with a bang, albeit with a hint of underlying anxiety. Friends and former work colleagues gathered during the first days of spring to chat in my sun-lathered back garden in South London. COVID-19 lateral flow tests had all been passed. Previously, we’d spent years working together on…

Photo courtesy of Inês Velosa Day 12 of 31 This is Inês Velosa’s (@inesdnobre) story: On June 6, 2021, after some confusing days, my husband was diagnosed with MS. I remember hearing this diagnosis for the first time and thinking that life, as we knew it, was…

Photo courtesy of Manuela Lama Day 1 of 31 This is Manuela Lama’s (@manuela.p) story: Caring for someone with multiple sclerosis can be challenging, exhausting, and stressful. As a single mother of a daughter with MS, I have been not only physically tired, but, even more…

Am I about to share my first conspiracy theory, even if it’s just about me? Why not? It’s all the rage, though this one may have a loose connection to a possible truth. Stick with the story, please. It requires some scene-setting. It was years ago, at the end of…